Name: Gravlax
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup kosher salt; 1 (1-pound) skin-on salmon fillet; 3 tablespoons brandy; 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill

Why This Recipe Works

Unlike its cousins smoked salmon, lox, and nova, which are all usually brined and then smoked, gravlax relies on a one-step process. The name, derived from gravad lax (Swedish for “buried salmon”), alludes to covering the fish with a salt-and-sugar cure (and typically dill). We call for skin-on salmon because it makes slicing the cured fish easier. A splash of booze (we use brandy) adds flavor, helps the cure adhere, and assists in the preserving process. Most recipes use granulated sugar, but we opt for brown sugar because its flavor complements the salmon. Pressing the salmon under the weight of a few cans helps it release moisture and gives the fillet a firmer, more sliceable texture. We baste the salmon with the released liquid once a day to help speed up the curing process and to keep it from drying out. Serve it sliced thin on its own or on our Deli Rye Bread with cream cheese, shallot, or other accoutrements.

Instructions

Combine sugar and salt in bowl. Place salmon, skin side down, in 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with brandy, making sure to cover entire surface. Rub salmon evenly with sugar-salt mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Cover with dill, pressing firmly to adhere.

Cover salmon loosely with plastic wrap, top with square baking dish or pie plate, and weight with several large, heavy cans. Refrigerate until salmon feels firm, about 3 days, basting salmon with liquid released into dish once a day.

Scrape dill off salmon. Remove salmon from dish and pat dry with paper towels before slicing. Gravlax can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 1 week; it should be left whole and sliced just before serving.